第八回 · 如來述伏猴 The Tathāgata Recounts the Monkey — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

如來述伏猴 The Tathāgata Recounts the Monkey

那nà三sān千qiān諸zhū佛fó、五wǔ百bǎi羅luó漢hàn、八bā金jīn剛gāng、四sì菩pú薩sà，合hé掌zhǎng近jìn前qián禮lǐ畢bì，問wèn曰yuē：「鬧nào天tiān宮gōng攪jiǎo亂luàn蟠pán桃táo者zhě，何hé也yě？」如rú來lái道dào：「那nà廝sī乃nǎi花huā果guǒ山shān產chǎn的de一yì妖yāo猴hóu，罪zuì惡è滔tāo天tiān，不bù可kě名míng狀zhuàng。概gài天tiān神shén將jiàng，俱jù莫mò能néng降xiáng伏fú；雖suī二èr郎láng捉zhuō獲huò，老lǎo君jūn用yòng火huǒ鍛duàn煉liàn，亦yì莫mò能néng傷shāng損sǔn。我wǒ去qù時shí，正zhèng在zài雷léi將jiàng中zhōng間jiān揚yáng威wēi耀yào武wǔ，賣mài弄nòng精jīng神shén。被bèi我wǒ止zhǐ住zhù兵bīng戈gē，問wèn他tā來lái歷lì。他tā言yán有yǒu神shén通tōng，會huì變biàn化huà，又yòu駕jià觔jīn斗dòu雲yún，一yí去qù十shí萬wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ。我wǒ與yǔ他tā打dǎ了le個gè賭dǔ賽sài，他tā出chū不bù得dé我wǒ手shǒu，卻què將jiāng他tā一yì把bǎ抓zhuā住zhù，指zhǐ化huà五wǔ行xíng山shān，封fēng壓yā他tā在zài那nà裡lǐ。玉yù帝dì大dà開kāi金jīn闕què瑤yáo宮gōng，請qǐng我wǒ坐zuò了le首shǒu席xí，立lì安ān天tiān大dà會huì謝xiè我wǒ，卻què方fāng辭cí駕jià而ér回huí。」大dà眾zhòng聽tīng言yán喜xǐ悅yuè，極jí口kǒu稱chēng揚yáng。那nà三sān千qiān诸zhū佛fó、五wǔ百bǎi罗luó汉hàn、八bā金jīn刚gāng、四sì菩pú萨sà，合hé掌zhǎng近jìn前qián礼lǐ毕bì，问wèn曰yuē：「闹nào天tiān宫gōng搅jiǎo乱luàn蟠pán桃táo者zhě，何hé也yě？」如rú来lái道dào：「那nà厮sī乃nǎi花huā果guǒ山shān产chǎn的de一yì妖yāo猴hóu，罪zuì恶è滔tāo天tiān，不bù可kě名míng状zhuàng。概gài天tiān神shén将jiàng，俱jù莫mò能néng降xiáng伏fú；虽suī二èr郎láng捉zhuō获huò，老lǎo君jūn用yòng火huǒ锻duàn炼liàn，亦yì莫mò能néng伤shāng损sǔn。我wǒ去qù时shí，正zhèng在zài雷léi将jiàng中zhōng间jiān扬yáng威wēi耀yào武wǔ，卖mài弄nòng精jīng神shén。被bèi我wǒ止zhǐ住zhù兵bīng戈gē，问wèn他tā来lái历lì。他tā言yán有yǒu神shén通tōng，会huì变biàn化huà，又yòu驾jià觔jīn斗dòu云yún，一yí去qù十shí万wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ。我wǒ与yǔ他tā打dǎ了le个gè赌dǔ赛sài，他tā出chū不bù得dé我wǒ手shǒu，却què将jiāng他tā一yì把bǎ抓zhuā住zhù，指zhǐ化huà五wǔ行xíng山shān，封fēng压yā他tā在zài那nà里lǐ。玉yù帝dì大dà开kāi金jīn阙què瑶yáo宫gōng，请qǐng我wǒ坐zuò了le首shǒu席xí，立lì安ān天tiān大dà会huì谢xiè我wǒ，却què方fāng辞cí驾jià而ér回huí。」大dà众zhòng听tīng言yán喜xǐ悦yuè，极jí口kǒu称chēng扬yáng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà三sān千qiān諸zhū佛fó、五wǔ百bǎi羅luó漢hàn、八bā金jīn剛gāng、四sì菩pú薩sà，合hé掌zhǎng近jìn前qián禮lǐ畢bì，問wèn曰yuē：那nà三sān千qiān诸zhū佛fó、五wǔ百bǎi罗luó汉hàn、八bā金jīn刚gāng、四sì菩pú萨sà，合hé掌zhǎng近jìn前qián礼lǐ毕bì，问wèn曰yuē：

The three thousand buddhas, five hundred arhats, eight vajra-warriors and four bodhisattvas pressed their palms together, drew near, completed their obeisance, and asked:

Somebody finally asks the question the reader has been waiting seven chapters to hear asked. The assembly is counted off in its canonical orders: three thousand buddhas, five hundred arhats, eight vajra-guardians, four bodhisattvas. 那 is the pointing nà, that.

「鬧nào天tiān宮gōng攪jiǎo亂luàn蟠pán桃táo者zhě，何hé也yě？」「闹nào天tiān宫gōng搅jiǎo乱luàn蟠pán桃táo者zhě，何hé也yě？」

"Who was it that made havoc in the Palace of Heaven and threw the Peach Festival into confusion?"

蟠桃 are the immortal peaches whose banquet the monkey ruined a few chapters back.

如rú來lái道dào：如rú来lái道dào：

The Tathāgata said:

Three characters, and the floor is his. What follows is the Buddha telling, in his own voice, a story the reader watched happen five chapters ago.

「那nà廝sī乃nǎi花huā果guǒ山shān產chǎn的de一yì妖yāo猴hóu，罪zuì惡è滔tāo天tiān，不bù可kě名míng狀zhuàng。「那nà厮sī乃nǎi花huā果guǒ山shān产chǎn的de一yì妖yāo猴hóu，罪zuì恶è滔tāo天tiān，不bù可kě名míng状zhuàng。

"That fellow is a demon-monkey bred on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, whose crimes overflow Heaven and beggar all description.

那廝 is dismissive — that fellow, that character; 廝 is read sī. 花果山, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, is Sun Wukong's home.

概gài天tiān神shén將jiàng，俱jù莫mò能néng降xiáng伏fú；概gài天tiān神shén将jiàng，俱jù莫mò能néng降xiáng伏fú；

All the gods and generals of Heaven were alike unable to subdue him;

降伏 is to put down or quell, and 降 is xiáng for that sense — subjugate — not jiàng, to descend.

雖suī二èr郎láng捉zhuō獲huò，老lǎo君jūn用yòng火huǒ鍛duàn煉liàn，亦yì莫mò能néng傷shāng損sǔn。虽suī二èr郎láng捉zhuō获huò，老lǎo君jūn用yòng火huǒ锻duàn炼liàn，亦yì莫mò能néng伤shāng损sǔn。

and though Erlang took him captive and Lord Lao refined him in fire, none could do him harm.

二郎 is Erlang Shen, the god who finally caught him; 老君 is Laozi, Taishang Laojun, whose furnace he was smelted in and walked out of.

我wǒ去qù時shí，正zhèng在zài雷léi將jiàng中zhōng間jiān揚yáng威wēi耀yào武wǔ，賣mài弄nòng精jīng神shén。我wǒ去qù时shí，正zhèng在zài雷léi将jiàng中zhōng间jiān扬yáng威wēi耀yào武wǔ，卖mài弄nòng精jīng神shén。

When I arrived, he was in the very midst of the thunder-generals, flaunting his power and parading his spirit.

雷將 are the thunder-generals, and 將 is jiàng — the officer, not the verb.

被bèi我wǒ止zhǐ住zhù兵bīng戈gē，問wèn他tā來lái歷lì。被bèi我wǒ止zhǐ住zhù兵bīng戈gē，问wèn他tā来lái历lì。

I stayed their weapons and asked him his history.

止住兵戈, stopping the fighting, is offered as the whole of what he did. The wager and the mountain go unmentioned for another two lines. The Buddha's version of events is a great deal shorter than the events.

他tā言yán有yǒu神shén通tōng，會huì變biàn化huà，又yòu駕jià觔jīn斗dòu雲yún，一yí去qù十shí萬wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ。他tā言yán有yǒu神shén通tōng，会huì变biàn化huà，又yòu驾jià觔jīn斗dòu云yún，一yí去qù十shí万wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ。

He claimed to possess spirit-powers and the art of transformation, and to ride a cloud-somersault that bore him a hundred and eight thousand li at a single bound.

觔斗雲 is the somersault-cloud. In 一去 the 一 shifts to yí before the falling tone of 去. A hundred and eight thousand li in one leap is Wukong's party trick, and he is quoted here boasting about it.

我wǒ與yǔ他tā打dǎ了le個gè賭dǔ賽sài，他tā出chū不bù得dé我wǒ手shǒu，卻què將jiāng他tā一yì把bǎ抓zhuā住zhù，指zhǐ化huà五wǔ行xíng山shān，封fēng壓yā他tā在zài那nà裡lǐ。我wǒ与yǔ他tā打dǎ了le个gè赌dǔ赛sài，他tā出chū不bù得dé我wǒ手shǒu，却què将jiāng他tā一yì把bǎ抓zhuā住zhù，指zhǐ化huà五wǔ行xíng山shān，封fēng压yā他tā在zài那nà里lǐ。

I made a wager with him; he could not get free of my palm, so I seized him in one grip, pointed and turned it into the Mountain of Five Phases, and sealed him fast beneath it.

The whole rebellion, settled in one sentence. 將他 uses the disposal 將, jiāng, which sets up the object for what is about to be done to it; in 一把 the 一 takes yì before the dipping tone of 把. 五行山 is the Mountain of Five Phases (wǔ xíng), the five elements of which the world is built.

玉yù帝dì大dà開kāi金jīn闕què瑤yáo宮gōng，請qǐng我wǒ坐zuò了le首shǒu席xí，立lì安ān天tiān大dà會huì謝xiè我wǒ，卻què方fāng辭cí駕jià而ér回huí。」玉yù帝dì大dà开kāi金jīn阙què瑶yáo宫gōng，请qǐng我wǒ坐zuò了le首shǒu席xí，立lì安ān天tiān大dà会huì谢xiè我wǒ，却què方fāng辞cí驾jià而ér回huí。」

The Jade Emperor flung wide the golden gates of his jasper palace, seated me at the head, and held the Grand Assembly for the Securing of Heaven to thank me; only then did I take my leave and return."

安天大會, the Grand Assembly for Securing Heaven, is the banquet that closed the previous chapter — so the Buddha ends his account with the party thrown in his honour.

大dà眾zhòng聽tīng言yán喜xǐ悅yuè，極jí口kǒu稱chēng揚yáng。大dà众zhòng听tīng言yán喜xǐ悦yuè，极jí口kǒu称chēng扬yáng。

Hearing his words, the assembly rejoiced and praised him without stint.

極口稱揚 is praise pushed as far as the mouth will go.

總評 Commentary

The assembly's question is a piece of stagecraft: it lets the Buddha retell the monkey's defeat in his own voice, and so carries seven chapters of story into the new movement without a summary. What is striking is how calm his version is. Where the earlier telling wallowed in the chaos, he reduces the whole thing to a bet already won — 他出不得我手, he never got out of my hand.

Within the xīnyuán allegory, the mind-monkey, the retelling matters because it settles what the imprisonment means. The unruly mind has not been destroyed; it has been sealed, 封壓, under the Five Phases — under the very elements the world is made of. Plaks notes that the novel keeps staging these bindings as preparation for cultivation rather than as endings. The seal is a discipline, not a grave.

The passage also settles, without arguing about it, who outranks whom. Erlang and Laozi both failed where the Buddha succeeded, and the Jade Emperor had to throw a banquet to say thank you. That pecking order is the ground for the claim about to be made: that it is Buddhist scripture, carried east, that can finally mend the mortal world.